Preparation of knitted fabrics for use



c. E. SHAW.

l PREPARATION OF KNIT'TED FABRICS FOR USE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY31919.

` Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

wwwHmwmnuhm f .0 im. A E@ A@ 0 6 E e 4CHARLES E. SHAW, 0F EAST WEYMOUTH; MASSACHUSETTS.

REPABATION F KNI'ITED FABRICS FOR USE,

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. 27, 1921.

Application filed Hay 3, 1919. Serial No. 594,471.

l To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAnLEsE. SHAW, a

' citizen of the United States, and a resident of EastWeymouth, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have in `vented an Improvement in the Preparation of Knitted F abrics`v for Use, of which the following description, inconnection with the v accompanying drawings, is a specifica'- tion, like characters on the drawings reprevsenting like parts.

This invention relates to knitted fabrics and more particularly to a means of'preparing the same vwhereby they may be readf ily handled in various processes incident to Vthe final utilization thereof.

My invention will bestbe understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying draw` ings more or less diagrammatically showing a specific illustrative embodiment of my invention and wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of a .tubular knitted fabric in course of preparation by means illustrating my invention; c V

Fig. 2'is a transverse section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig 3 is a plan view of the final fabric after pre aration. l

. Knitte fabrics are utilized extensively in the arts because 0f their superior elasticity as com ared to woven fabrics. As an example'I may'mention the preparation of linings and reinforcements for rubber footwear. The knitted fabrics so utilized are usually prepared on a tubular knitting machine and take the ,form of a knitted tube of indefinite length.

The fabrics so pre ared have ,to be handled in the piece an go through various processes before their final utilization. For example, when they are intended for use with rubber` footwear, it is lnecessary to dye the same and in certain instances to coat them with rubber to provide a friction fab- 7 ric. The elasticity `and fiexibility of thek edge curls up immediatel rendering the tube when spread out to attened form inconvenient to handle and entaxling a walt age of the cloth. Furthermore, in processeswhere the knitted fabric is fed along in the piece, it is subject to irregular tension, will not feed `eyenly and distorts in shape.

My invention more particularly relates to means whereby the tubular fabric as a piece .can be brought into al flattened sheet-like form of indefinite length without the waste due to curling of thejedges and whereby a strip is provided which can be handled without distortion and which'y will maintain a substantially uniform width throughout its length and will have straight edges.

`For this purpose I may treat a longitudinal zone of the stri in such manner as to relatively position tlie threads along that zone, more or less completely neutralizing their tendency to shifting movement under strains of use. This maybe effected in any ldesired manner but conveniently I utilize one or more relatively inextensible Abands 5 of which I have herein shown two, one at the interior of the tube and one at the exteriol. These bands may conveniently be bias tape for a reason hereinafter to be referred to. In the drawing` I vhave indicated `diagrammatically that the fabric 7 is knitted by showing a portion as if magnied by a glass 8, The bands 5 are secured longitudinally to the fabric 7. Herein I have shown this effected by stitching the same with spaced seams of any suitable sort, and for purposes of illustration have shown `four such seams, two inner seams 9 which may be straight and outer seams 10 which ma convenientl be zivzag to insure a more intlmate contact of the' knit fabric with the bands 5 throughout the width of the latter. Both fabric 7 and bands 5 are then divided longitudinally along the zone as by cutting them between the'spaced seams 9, as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. .1 by the representation of a pairof scissors 11.

The tube lmay then be spread open to form a flat stri as shown in Fig. 3, along each border o which is a stay binding formed by the half of the band or bandsv 5, which binding holds the margin of the strip and. prevents it from lrolling' over and by virtue of its relatively inextensible quality revents distortionof the strip as a whole.

he flat fabric produced then consists of -se arate threads knitted together andunse vaged but 'held by the stay bindings 5. It will be noted that the threads along'the v the stay-binding may readily be applied as distinguished from attempting to provide any sort of a hem or binding on the mar- Agin of the stripl after the tube is cut open andthe ends of the threads have been'freed to move relatively. Furthermore, the procedure permits the regular application of the stay binding with even tension without any initial or irregular distortion of the .knitted fabric along the two edges of the fiattened strip shown in Fig. 3.

In certain instances I may provide for increased lateral stiffness of the reinforced yzone provided by the attached bands 5, as for instance, byyproviding amultiple thickness at intervals. Such a multiple thickness might, for example, be provided by plaiting the applied bands 5 transversely at intervals or, as herein shown, by securing separate transverse strips 12 at intervals, which strips are divided when the fabric is longitudinally slit and form reinforcements at the edges of the flattened fabric asindicated in Fig. 3.

In instances `where I utilize one or more bands of a different type of fabric secured in position as above described, I may preferably utilize bias tape-because when slit longitudinally as described it will not form a raw l edge likely to ravel.

While I have herein described the band as attached by seams, other attaching means may be provided or the threads along the longitudinal zone may be relativelv positioned in other ways. For example, for certain purposes I might stifen the fabric along this zone by the applicat-ion of a suitable pyroxylin compound, the zone-treated by this compound being thereafter longitudinallyT divided. In the use of such a lcompound or fabrics evidently to be used in rubber footwear, a` compound would be chosen which would not be affected by the dyes in the dye vat but which might dissolve and disappear in the final vulcanization process whichthe fabric would undergo.

Having thus described a particular embodiment of my invention, the principles exemplified thereby which I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent I shall express in the following claims 1. A method of preparing tubular knitted fabrics for handlin comprising securing a relatively -inextensi le band longitudinally thereto and dividing fabric and band lengthwise.

2. A method "of preparing tubular knitted fabrics forhandling comprising securing a relatively inextensible band longitudinally thereto by spaced Yseams andcutting fabric and band lengthwise between the seams.

3. A method of preparing tubular knitted fabrics for handling comprising applying stiffening means along a relatively narrow zone of the fabric lengthwise thereof 'to position the threads along that zone against relative movement and dividing the fabric lengthwise of the zone.

4. A method of preparing tubular knitted fabrics for handling comprising reinforcing a longitudinal zone thereof by means positioning the threads in the zone against relative movement and longitudinally slitting the fabric along said zone..

5. A method of preparing tubular knitted fabrics for handling comprising securing relatively inextensible bands in substantial registry internall and exteriorly of the tube and lengthwise t ereof and dividing bands and fabric longitudinally.

6. A method of preparing tubular knitted fabrics for handling comprising securing a relatively inextensible band lengthwise thereof by zigzag stitching and dividing baiid 'and fabric longitudinally.

7. The method of preparing tubular knitted fabrics for handling comprising securing longitudinally thereof a relatively inextcnsible band by inner straight seams and outcr zigzag seams -and dividing band and fabric lengthwise.

8. The method of preparing tubular knitted fabrics for handling comprising securing longitudinally thereof a relatively inenten-v sible band having at intervals portions of greater thickness extending transversely thereof and providing lateral stiffness to prevent subsequentcurling and longitudinally dividing band and fabric.

.9. The method of preparing tubular knitted fabrics for handling comprising securing longitudinally thereof a relatively inextensible band and spaced transverse strips at intervals therealong to provide lateral stiffness to revent subsequent curling and longitudinally dividing band and fabric.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES E. SHAW. 

